Nov 6 (Reuters) - The English amateur cricketer who went viral for finger-clicking trickery has been handed a two-year suspension, the North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League said on Friday.
The fielder, dubbed "Clicky Ponting" on social media in a nod to former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, was accused of tricking umpires by clicking his fingers to make the sound of a ball nicking the bat as deliveries were missed and caught by the wicketkeeper.
The video footage went viral on social media and made international headlines earlier this year. A three-person disciplinary panel reviewed the footage and considered player interviews and written statements before imposing the ban.
"The player concerned is suspended from all cricket under the ECB's (the England and Wales Cricket Board) jurisdiction for two years, from 30 September 2026 to 29 September 2028. This covers playing, coaching, umpiring, scoring and managing junior teams," the NYSDL said in a statement.
Additionally, Saltburn Cricket Club have been fined 300 pounds ($402.87) and their 2ndXI has been relegated to Division Three of the NYSDCL and will start the 2027 season with a 60-point deduction, the league added.
'HAD A CHUCKLE TO MYSELF,' SAYS RICKY PONTING
Ricky Ponting, who led Australia to two 50-over World Cup titles, told Reuters he found the controversy amusing, although he was less impressed that his name had become associated with the player.
"I had a bit of a chuckle to myself and pretty much forgot about it after that," he said in an interview earlier this year.
"I guess it wasn't a nice thing to have my name associated with someone who's blatantly cheating but... honestly I had a laugh and a joke about it."
($1 = 0.7447 pounds)
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Chiranjit OjhaEditing by Christian Radnedge and Toby Davis)
